Saturday, October 15, 2011

The world is a vast expanse, and yet, I appreciate how we’re all tied together.  Though individuals live differing lives, some good, some bad, some magical and others horrid, we all have a common thread that binds us together.  As a child, I took solace in this, recognizing its remarkable abilities.

Have you ever gazed up at the sun or leisurely allowed your eyes to linger on the moon?  While doing so, did it cross your mind that others, people you’d never met, probably never would, were doing the same…in that very moment and with that very sun or moon?

As a little girl, this fascinated me.  Always brought a smile to my face. Thinking that somewhere out there was another who might be pausing the universe long enough to also gaze at the sun or moon and wonder who else might be doing the same.  If they were like me.  Had similar hobbies, goals, achievements or disappointments.  I wondered if that someone else might dance their way through life as I did, trying to appreciate all nature had to offer.

As an adult, I’m no less fascinated with this pastime.  In fact, I believe that life and circumstances have taught me to be more appreciative of how these simplicities tie us together.

So often, people focus on how individuals differ from one another.  Some do this to the point of obsession that guides them down judgmental paths not easy to extricate one’s self from.  Though it’s true that each individual, no matter his or her standing in life, does differ from another, I prefer to focus on what makes us similar.  To find a common ground in which we might connect. 

Doing so isn’t always easy.  When I find it a struggle to find a prevailing thread, I close my eyes and envision each of us gazing up at the sun or leisurely allowing our eyes to linger on the moon.  In that moment, clarity reveals one similarity we share and helps promote my ability to discern other ways in which we might be alike.